Top Five TV Shows of the 2018-19 Year
Earlier this week, the 2019 Emmys nominations were officially announced for the year. Representing the industry's best on the small screen, the 2019 Emmys proved to be their most populist year in quite some time. As the For Your Consideration campaigns begin to be mounted, it's best to look back on some of the best that television had to offer this season that may or may not have been included. 5. Saturday Night Live, Season 44 (NBC) Over the last couple years, Saturday Night Live has embraced the political discourse of the era and delivered amusing but increasingly stale material about the chaos of Washington D.C.. Fortunately, the show has returned to its gloriously silly and strange roots with the newest season of the decades long show. By cutting down the political satire to the cold open and the popular segments of Weekend Update, the cast has gotten a chance to truly stretch their legs and deliver some hilarious, unique sketch comedy that utilizes every tool in their wheelhouse. Best Episode: "Adam Sandler/Shawn Mendes" The return of Adam Sandler was met with critical and popular acclaim, with the show featuring many sketches that utilized Sandler's trademark silliness with beloved characters like Opera Man or his vast film career in Sandler Family Reunion. However, the standout moment of both the episode and season is Sandler's touching, simple, and heartfelt tribute to fellow SNL alumni and beloved friend Chris Farley. In a performance pinged with nostalgia, humor, and above all else love, Sandler's episode is a peak of the modern era. Other Standouts: "Matt Damon/Mark Ronson & Miley Cyrus", "Halsey/Halsey" 4. DC's Legends of Tomorrow, Season 4 (Warner Bros. Television) Superhero television has largely gone down the drain as the film world has taken over the genre, but the media's best entries have also been produced now as well. The best of the best is the goofy, absurd, and heartfelt Legends of Tomorrow, which has constantly embraced its comic book nature. The gripping and digestible plot makes for fantastic casual viewings, while the devoted relationships, tongue-in-cheek humor, and concerted effort to always add more to its characters, Legends of Tomorrow remains one of the best shows to watch on television on an entertainment and quality level. Best Episode: "Seance and Sensibility" While the finale of Season 4 is undeniably trademark Legends, it's the tribute to author Jane Austen and Bollywood that stands out as the best. It's the perfect episode of serial television, developing several of the long teased and awaited relationships while setting up the show for its true conflict in subtle, important ways. Plus, the episode ends in fantastic Legends of Tomorrow fashion with a Bollywood musical number that will bring a smile to even the harshest critics with its sincerity and humor. Other Standouts: "Hey, World!", "Lucha de Apuestas" 3. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon) One of the most wholesome and funny shows of the modern era, this deceptively feminist show absolutely soars off of its dynamic cast and writing. Allowing its titular character to finally shine with Rachel Brosnahan's stunning charm in her stand-up routines, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel took any chinks from its debut season and irons them out into a flawlessly made show. The production design hasn't just increased in scale but ambition, while the entire ensemble has gotten chances to shine and become a fully fleshed out show. Best Episode: "We're Going to the Catskills!" The entire season of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel seemed to be a giant excuse to expand its scope, and the Catskills portion of the season is the best example of this. In most television series, segments where characters leave the primary setting become a labor, but with a chance to flex Amy Sherman-Palladino's eye for camera work, the flourish of the 1950's era, and expand on its many character relationships and lives, the Catskills was the spark of the season. And the intro to this segment is the show's best moments, including a dancing single take that would put Academy Award-winning films to shame and a driving montage that will reduce audiences to tears. Other Standouts: "Vote For Kennedy, Vote For Kennedy!", "All Alone" 2. Daredevil, Season 3 (Netflix) If the fourth entry was the best show of the superhero genre, then Daredevil is hands down the best show to have a superhero in it. Daredevil had an abrupt and tragic conclusion as a series, but the season itself will allow the show to stand among icons. Its increasingly ambitious scope is only matched by its intimate return to character focused stories. Stripping its titular hero of his heroic side and allowing fellow cast members to become even more fleshed out characters, while sprinkling its character drama with intense action, Daredevil left on a high note for the world and far too soon. Best Episode: "A New Napkin" A season's worth of tension was finally brought to a boiling point as its three leads collided into a vicious finale. From Dexter's full descent into murderous rage, Fisk's brief but compelling success, and Matt's vendetta against both pulling him to his darkest place, every piece of the puzzle of Daredevil was in place and formed the perfect picture. Including two of the series' best fight scenes as well as its most surprising turns, the conclusion to the season and series put its audiences at a completely satisfying ease. Other Standouts: "Karen", "The Perfect Game" Honorable Mentions *''Black Mirror: Bandersnatch'' (Netflix) *''Game of Thrones'' (HBO) *''Last Week Tonight'' (HBO) *''Love, Death, and Robots'' (Netflix) *''2019 Academy Awards'' (ABC) 1. Barry, Season 2 (HBO) One of the best television shows of the modern era despite its short life so far, Barry is the gripping, funny, and creative show that has offered a rejuvanation of the serialized form of television. Every facet of the show is perfection and hits with pinpoint marksmanship, from the magnificent writing in every single episode to its consistently challenging and engaging direction. The biggest improvement, although this aspect was already very good, that bolstered a very good show to immaculate levels was its cast, where the show allowed for previous supporting characters like Anthony Carrigan's loveable NoHo Hank and the deceptively dumb Stephen Root character Fuches to become even better. Ultimately, the darkest, strangest, and best show of the era is Barry, and its future is bright, strong, and flourishing. Best Episode: "The Audition" Every character gets a monologue and an Emmy reel- while an amusing joke, Barry's best episode once again goes to its penultimate episode "The Audition". Without any sense of hyperbole, "The Audition" is one of the best pieces of writing of the year period. Each character gets a moment to shine, the episode has a nonstop but subtle pace, the commentary on Hollywood's wokeness and pomp is hilarious, and it sets up the plot to go in legitimately any direction. This is what television, with its condensed time and setting, can be capable of when it's allowed to flourish under a confident, skilled creator. Other Standouts: "ronny/lily", "berkman > block" Category:Top Five